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What You Should 

♦ 

Know When Building 
A Little House 

jy 

By CHARLES E. WHITE, JR. 


Issued by 

The Ladies' Home Journal 
Independence Square 
Philadelphia 













Note.—T he price of building materials varies to 
such an extent in different localities that the com¬ 
parative lists mentioned in connection with this 
article can only be considered as approximate. 


z' 

JAN -7 1915 

©CI.A393176 





2 


/ 





What You Should Know 
When Building a Kittle House 

By CHARLES E. WHITE , JR., M. A. I. A. 

Author of “ Successful Houses and How to Build Them u Some Western 
Hornes^ “How to Build a Fireproof Housed etc. 

I T IS hardly necessary to state here why one should build one’s own 
home; why it is better to own than to rent—what particular advan¬ 
tages^^ house has over the landlord's. Practical reasons for build¬ 
ing are well understood by most people. Briefly they are these: 

There is comfort in owning your home impossible to secure in the 
average house built to rent. This is brought about by one very important 
condition—ecu-/. Your landlord building to rent cannot afford to design 
and construct a house containing the many clever and pretty things you 
desire. He must keep the construction down to the general necessities. 

Then after comfort comes the honest pride of ownership. We all love 
that which is ours. We enjoy planning, building and arranging the new 
home, and we derive a certain amount of pleasure every day of our lives 
from actually possessing the house which shelters our family. Property 
owners are always considered the most stable members of a community, 
so when we become property owners, in however small a degree, we take 
our places among men and women of particular importance. Our interest 
in town or village affairs increases, our intelligence is intensified and we 
seem to be a tangible part of the machinery of the community which we 
have, in our small way, improved by our home investment. 

Economy, too, must be recognized as an element in home-making— 
a not unimportant factor. Though it might not be possible in every 
home-building operation to figure that, say, an investment of $3000 will 
yield great financial returns, yet, considering the matter broadly, $3000 
invested in a home brings in many cases satisfactory financial increase. 
In other words, $3000 invested in business might }deld more profit in 
dollars and cents than the same sum invested in a home, but one should 
not for this reason bar out the home investment. With land judiciously 
selected in a location which seems to promise increase in value, and with 
a new house attractively designed and well built (at not too great cost), 
one should be able to sell later, if desired, at fair profit. In considering 
the home project, however, do not too rigidly adhere to the dollar s-and- 
cents side of the problem. For instance, tile walls and floor in the bath¬ 
room (costing more than a hardwood floor and plaster walls) might run 
the cost of a house above a strictly profit-yielding basis—yet tile proves 
extremely desirable in one’s own house. So, too, with other things which 
could not be included in the landlord-owned house, owing to prohibitive 
cost. In a self-owned house they might be just the features which one 
most desires and without which one might almost as well continue to 
live in a rented house. 


3 




The true way to figure profit gained 

in selling one’s own house is to include the amount of rent you would 
have paid living for the same length of time in a landlord-owned house 
as part of the profit. In other words, you have no right to expect to live 
rent free , even in your own house. If you paid $30 per month rent before 
building, charge yourself the same amount in the new home when figuring 
out the financial side of your problem. On this basis, if you sell the place 
in five years you should credit the investment with $ 1800 (five years at $360 
per year) in addition to any other profit you may make. Of course, you 
should make some calculations for repairs and taxes, which the landlord 
paid formerly but which you are now required to pay yourself. 

If the new home is more elaborate and expensive than the old one you 
should charge yourself increased rent—about what you would expect to 
pay for like accommodations. This is the only just way in which to 
estimate the financial returns from your investment. 

But after the dollars-and-cents part of the project is threshed out and 
laid one side you should realize that other and greater considerations 
furnish, after all, the best reasons why folks desire to own their homes. 
Increased comfort and satisfaction, the safeguarding of family privacy 
and greater freedom for children (to say nothing of increased reputation 
for thrift and stability) are ideals every family should look forward to. 
These are facts correctly understood by all and there is hardly a family 
to be found in which the heads do not have a well-defined ambition some 
day to own their home. 

For the young man and young woman home-building is particularly 
desirable. Building “on the installment plan” appeals to such as a safe 
way to invest surplus funds, however small. Young people who are 
paying for their homes in this way must of necessity be more cautious 
of expenditures in order to meet the payments required. They spend 
less on trivial things and this promotes thrift. Many now possessed of 
an abundance of this world’s goods received their first start in this way. 



To caution one in selecting the building site may seem unnecessary, 
yet so many mistakes in taking this first step have been made that it 
may not prove amiss to give a little advice here. 

There are beautiful houses built in almost every part of the United 
States, homes containing every modern convenience for comfort, yet a 
substantial proportion of them are not what one might call really success¬ 
ful , because built on such undesirable sites. Of course, it is difficult to say 
offhand what is and what is not a “desirable” building site. One man 
might insist upon a hillside for his house, claiming that no other location 
is so desirable, while another might select a flat or undulating prairie. 
This house-owner prefers trees and plenty of them, while that owner, 
when he is in the market for a lot, specifies no, or few, trees, because 
“trees keep the place damp.” A few general rules can be laid down, 
however, which apply in almost any section of the country and under 
practically all conditions. 


4 



Cost is, of course, the first consideration 

and along the line of cost one must consider the seller—he from whom 
you buy. A seller may be the man who owns the property, or, as in many 
cases, he may merely be an agent empowered by the actual owner to sell 
or offer for sale. 

Town and city property (or suburban property) is usually sold 
through an agent, a man skilled in the handling of property—one who 
is supposed, of course, to get the most advantageous terms possible for 
his principal, the landowner. 

Every man and woman who has ever purchased goods of any descrip¬ 
tion, especially those who have had experience in buying real estate, 
knows how quickly anything jumps in value as soon as some one wants to 
buy it. A piece of property may lie idle for years, far removed from 
transportation, town conveniences or other advantages which might 
seem to make the land desirable for home-building; such land might 
appear of little value, but let a prospective buyer signify his interest in 
it and, overnight, the price of the property jumps. 

Buying real estate, improved or unimproved, is sometimes like buying 
a pig in a bag: you may get a fat pig, and then you may not, depending 
upon the man from whom you buy. The first rule I would lay down in 
buying property, then, is this: Deal only with a reliable seller. When 
an agent is employed by the property owner (“ real-estate agent,” he 
is called) be sure he is a man of reputation. Most agents are without 
doubt honorable men who would not knowingly misrepresent the value 
of property. However, any agent may be, to say the least, optimistic 
about land values. A man’s reputation is his chief asset in any line of 
business. You have a right, then, to expect to deal with a man who has 
made a reputation and whose reputation is good. 

When buying directly from a landowner you should expect the same 
square deal you would get from a reliable real-estate agent—that is, his 
statements should be absolutely honest and his valuation of the land 
should be fair and just. Of course, you ought to remember that the 
seller’s idea of value and the buyer’s are often at variance, the point of 
view of seller and buyer being naturally somewhat different. The man 
who owns property usually thinks it is worth more than the man who wants 
to buy. A little careful investigation will keep the buyer well informed, 
however. He can find out the selling-price of surrounding property, 
always remembering that a reasonable advance in value each year (as 
more and more houses are built in that locality) is to be expected. Indeed, 
a good yearly increase in valuation is desired as showing a healthy, ‘ ‘ alive ’ ’ 
tendency to the property, indicating that a wise investment can be 
made there. 

In considering the cost of property 

you should carefully examine surroundings. In a suburban locality or 
in town or city first see whether sewer, water and gas are already extended 
through the street. Next you should ascertain if the street has been 
“improved” and if sidewalks and curbs are in place. Naturally, if 
required to make these necessary improvements yourself you should find 


5 



out what they will cost and add this sum to the original cost of the 
property to find out the full amount the land will come to. 

If these improvements are all in, and if all assessments for these 
improvements are paid (which you can ascertain by applying to the 
proper city, town or village official), the price of the land can be under¬ 
stood to cover improvements. 

When building in the country 

the problem, of course, is not quite the same. Probably there will be no 
gas, sewer or water pipes, and very likely there will be no curbs or side¬ 
walks. Improvements such as septic sewage system, water supply and 
lighting plant will then become part of the new building operations. 
Walks and curbs will be left to the individual ideas of the newcomer, 
who may spend little or much on his improvements. On the other hand, 
his land costing much less, he should be willing to spend something for 
the health, comfort and safety of his family by putting in those modern 
conveniences now regarded as necessities—an abundant supply of pure 
water, an adequate system of scientific sewage disposal and electric or 
gas lighting plants. 

Most-to-be-desired points in a building lot are well understood by the 
average buyer. All know that a high and dry lot is better than a low, 
damp one. Trees are usually considered as greatly enhancing the beauty 
of a piece of property, as well as increasing its market value. To those 
who are cranks for sunlight I can only observe that when trees are too 
plentiful a few near the house can be thinned out to let in sunlight, but 
I earnestly suggest that no trees be cut (except directly where the house 
is to stand) until the owner moves in and studies carefully just what trees 
should be cut down. It is better to have too many trees the first year 
than to sacrifice needlessly even one—and usually it takes about twelve 
months of actually living on a property before the family understands 
and can intelligently decide upon such intimate details as trees. 

For the man who buys a treeless lot let me caution him in computing 
its cotal cost to include a sum for trees and shrubs which he must buy to 
make his property desirable. So many buyers forget this item—purchas¬ 
ing a bare site expensive to plant and improve, when perhaps at a slight 
advance over the bare lot (and for less than what improvements would 
cost) they might have secured a site well supplied with trees. 

Then there is the item of grading to be taken into consideration. 
Whenever possible avoid a site which sets so low as to require expensive 
filling and grading. Dirt hauled to the site in carload lots may prove 
costly and any such grading should be considered and its cost computed 
before purchasing. 

For those who buy in a suburban community 

consideration should be given to the town itself, and to schools, churches 
and homes in the immediate neighborhood in which they propose to live. 
Taxes are of first importance to the future dweller, who will naturally 
wish to avoid settling in a community where taxes are out of all propor¬ 
tion to the advantages secured. Good schools will have paramount 
influence in the future development of the youngsters, who, after all, 


6 



should be considered more carefully in the new scheme than any other 
members of the family. An efficient fire department and abundant water 
supply mean better insurance rates and greater safety. Ample police 
protection is also, of course, desirable. 

Churches—their general characteristics and location in relation to 
your property—may also influence you in buying. Transportation— 
proximity of railroad or trolley lines—means much to the suburbanite who 
must travel to and from the city each day. All these things are of interest 
to the prospective purchaser, and the details can be readily ascertained 
by a little quiet and skillful investigation. You may quickly size up the 
situation. The appearance of neighboring houses and grounds indicates 
the character of townspeople; a little thought will help you determine 
whether or not they would make desirable neighbors. 

Beginning the Building Plans 

Once a building site is selected and all points concerning the exact or 
approximate location of the house determined, the prospective owner 
and his family are ready to take up the most interesting part of the 
problem. For years, perhaps, ideas and ideals have been accumulating 
in their minds. New houses built in near-by as well as far-away towns 
have been noticed, and when it comes to the plan stage almost everybody 
has more or less definite notions about the kind of house wanted—the 
arrangement of rooms and general type. Members of the family have 
doubtless noted pleasing features in other people’s houses. Magazine 
pictures and plans have been clipped and carefully preserved, and from 
this material many useful ideas are obtained. 

Almost the first thing the prospective owner must decide upon is his 
architect—whether to have an architect or not. There are various 
opinions on this point, some claiming that an architect is necessary, others 
believing that the only way to get what you want is to make your own 
plans. Most people who have been through the building proposition and 
realize its many interesting though exacting problems concede that plans 
are necessary—the most accurate and best plans you can buy. Many 
owners who tried making their own plans and had unnecessarily annoying 
experiences believe that their troubles might have been partially or 
wholly escaped if they had used plans made by an expert. Other house¬ 
owners who dealt directly with contractors, using plans made by them 
(the contractors), have frequently found when too late that contractors 
wise in construction are not always expert when it comes to designing and 
planning . In other words, it usually takes an expert with wide training 
and experience to make satisfactory plans for a house. Contractors have 
not as a rule received j ust the right kind of training to fit them as designers. 
On the other hand, architects especially trained usually produce not only 
more beautiful homes, but also homes actually more practical. 

Many get the idea that architects are mere artists. “They are not 
practical,” you will hear it said. Contractors sometimes bring up this 
point, insisting that because they (contractors) have been building 
houses for, perhaps, twenty years they are more “practical” than archi¬ 
tects. After unprejudiced investigation of plans produced by architects 


7 



and others produced by contractors (covering a period of many years), 

I can say without hesitation that in my estimation most architects’ plans 
are very much more practical than builders’ plans. Builders’ plans may 
call for buildings that are sturdy and strong, but only too often there is 
waste of space. Then, the immature designer, as represented by the 
average contractor, is more or less inclined to “tack things on” in his 
zeal to get an architectural effect—features that are expensive and 
unnecessary. The skillful architect gets his architectural effect by the 
clever arrangement of walls, windows and roof, making needless the 
application of unnecessary ornamental features. 

When it comes to planning 

the new arrangement of rooms, an architect has a decided advantage, 
because he is usually more familiar with the problem of planning. Archi¬ 
tects, in close touch with the work of others (as well as their own work), 
usually succeed in cleverly arranging space without waste. Having had 
so much experience, they know almost at a glance the arrangement of 
rooms which will yield the utmost comfort and convenience at minimum 
of cost, and they can tell by a little study the sort of house that will most 
likely fit the building site and prove most comfortable for the family. 

Use plans by all means—well drawn, accurate plans prepared by an 
expert with a reputation sufficiently good to assure you of good results. 
In some instances, of course, you might make an advantageous deal with 
a contractor to make plans and build the house, but those who have tried 
it both ways are usually loud in their praise of the separate-plan method 
of building—that is, plans made by an architect. As a matter of fact, 
most people buy plans prepared by experts, so undoubtedly the larger 
number of house-owners know the value of good plans. 

It only becomes necessary , then 

to decide whom to employ as your architect. This is a vital proposition, 
almost as vital as choosing one’s family doctor or one’s legal adviser, as 
the architect is largely responsible for the success of the new home. 
No matter how expert the average house-owner becomes in his under¬ 
standing of plans and specifications, he can rarely picture in his mind a 
house just as it will be when completed, and he must usually depend 
upon the judgment of his architect. With a wise architect behind your 
plans, you will have gone a very long way toward ultimate success. 

There are two kinds of plans to be had 

ready-made plans and plans made to order. Every owner must decide in 
advance which he will use. Advantages claimed for ready-made plans 
are that they are economical (because, having been built from many 
times, the actual cost of building is fairly well determined in advance), 
and often the actual house can be seen in duplicate in some near-by 
town. Then, ready-made plans are cheaper because architects producing 
them sell far and wide much in the same way that books are sold; 
therefore they can set a low price on each set of plans and still make a 
good profit. 


8 



In selecting ready-made plans you will have a wide range from which 
to choose. It should not be difficult to pick out the architect from whom 
to buy if he has been in business sufficiently long to give assurance of 
his stability. You might also require references, asking for names and 
addresses of people to whom he has sold plans. 

Advertisements of architects dealing in ready-made plans are to be 
found in many magazines. Before the actual purchase of plans you can 
buy books showing on a small scale plans and exterior views of many of 
the houses. 

Another method of securing ready-made plans has been introduced 
with much success by lumber and millwork dealers. Some of the larger 
concerns sell plans as low as one dollar, at the same time making you a 
price on all material required in the house (usually considerably below 
what you could buy material for from the ordinary retail lumber yard). 
One reason for the economy of this system is that all waste is eliminated. 
Material is provided in just the right quantities, lumber being furnished 
in proper lengths to fit. Then, windows and doors made by thousands 
are naturally cheaper, and one may expect to get material for houses (in 
wholesale lots like this) cheaper than material for houses built in the 
ordinary way. With most concerns the amount paid them for plans is 
refunded when they receive your order for material. 

Claims made against ready-made plans are that the owner does not 
receive the individual consideration he gets when his plans are made to 
order . For instance, let us say that a ready-made-plan architect makes 
up a design for a $4000 house. He gets ready one hundred sets with 
specifications, all alike, and these are featured in his book of plans. 
From all parts of the country one hundred buyers purchase these plans 
and build duplicate houses. Now, the chances are that only a portion 
of these hundred buyers are exactly fitted by these plans. They selected 
this house because it comes nearest to what they want. If plans had been 
made to order they might have secured a house precisely as they wanted 
it, and in this case there would have been, possibly, one hundred different 
houses instead of one hundred duplicate houses. 

Architects making plans to order also claim that the selection of 
ready-made plans is too much of a task for the average inexperienced 
owner. He (the owner) looks through plan books and views various 
designs, but how is he to know how to select the house which best fits 
his lot or which will cost least and make his family most comfortable? 

Of course, ready-made-plan men make plans to order also, or they 
will change their “stock” plans to suit the ideas of the owner, but 
made-to-order architects insist that ready-made-plan men cannot give 
such satisfactory personal service as themselves, because the former sell 
each plan at a low price, depending upon a large output for their profit; 
they cannot, therefore, pay much attention to each problem and must 
leave most of the work to draftsmen. 

Many prospective house-owners buy ready-made plans, and if they 
select with good judgment from reliable architects there is no reason 
why they should not get good results. If they choose to buy from a 
lumber or millwork concern the same applies—that is, they must select 
plans intelligently, dealing only with a reputable concern. 


9 



Other house-owners believe in plans made in the old-fashioned way, 
first by consulting an architect in their own town or in some city or town 
near by, and then having plans made to order under his skilled guidance. 

Dealings with makers of ready-made plans are pretty well understood 
by most readers, so we will devote the rest of this discussion on plan¬ 
making to ordinary architects whose work is made to order —a system 
not quite so well understood by people who have never built. 

Made-to-order plans . 

When they call upon architects for the first time, many owners are not 
familiar with architectural practice. They don’t know what made- 
to-order plans cost and they are not familiar with the duties of the 
architect—what he is supposed to do, and how far he is expected to 
safeguard the interests of his clients. 

In selecting an architect to make your plans you should, of course, 
pick a man first whose experience in designing small houses leads you to 
think him capable and efficient along this line. Though it may appear 
strange to some, small-house designing is one of the most difficult 
branches of the profession. Architects most successful in this field are 
usually men who have had a wide experience in small houses. Men 
whose practice is largely devoted to public buildings, factories, ware¬ 
houses and apartment buildings are rarely the best to employ in 
designing a little house in which every item of cost must be kept down 
to the minimum, every inch of space utilized and every architectural 
feature obtained at low cost. It requires not only brains to design a 
little house, but extraordinary skill and perseverance as well. This must 
be borne in mind when the owner selects his architect. He need not be 
surprised if asked to pay 10 per cent, for his architectural services (10 
per cent, of the complete cost of the house), for the American Institute 
of Architects now recommends this as a just and proper fee for its mem¬ 
bers to charge for plans, specifications and supervision of a house costing 
less than $10,000. Thus, if your house costs $3000 you would be 
required to pay $300 for architect’s services. This may seem a high 
price to some, but it is usually found worth while, as the skilled architect 
can most often save money in the long run. All architects do not charge 
the same fee, however, and you will find the price varies usually from 
5 to 10 per cent. Architects when not required to supervise the con¬ 
struction of buildings usually charge from 2)/£ to 7 per cent, for plans 
and specifications. 

An architect works in about the following manner: First, after 
consulting with you, to get all your ideas, he prepares a set of what are 
called sketches. These are drawings (on paper) of two floor plans with 
one or two exterior views entirely made up from the architect’s ideas, 
or they may embody only your own ideas. Frequently sketches are 
worked up from a rough sketch which the owner has made himself. 
Usually these preliminary sketches embody the ideas of the owner as 
well as the architect, being the combined thoughts of both. 

Then the owner receives and examines his sketches. He and his 
family thus have a preliminary suggestion for the house, showing its 
arrangement and exterior appearance. They can examine these sketches, 


10 



criticising them in detail, room by room. Perhaps the scheme does not 
prove entirely satisfactory the first time. The owner may require 
changes—indeed, sketches may have to be entirely redrawn before the 
design is satisafctory. When finally approved, however, the architect 
is ready to start working drawings and specifications. 

Working drawings 

are usually made in black ink on “tracing cloth,” a sort of waxed, 
transparent linen. After working drawings are completed the owner 
most often looks them over before the several sets of “blue prints” are 
struck off for the various contractors who are to submit bids on the 
work. Working drawings are exact duplicates of the approved prelim¬ 
inary sketches, except that they are drawn more in detail, all dimensions 
being plainly marked and many notes added for instructing workmen. 
An ordinary set of working drawings includes a Basement Plan, First-Story 
Plan, Second-Story Plan and Attic Plan. Then there is an exterior view 
of each of the four sides of the building (called “elevations”), and, 
perhaps, a cross-section or two showing interior details. Frequently 
one or more sheets of details are included, showing window and door 
frames, cornices, cupboards and similar features. The idea is to have a 
drawing covering every portion of the building which the contractor 
must know about before he can intelligently estimate the cost. Later, 
after contracts are let, more details of construction and finish are usually 
furnished by the architect for the assistance of the workmen in building. 

A set of specifications 

is merely a sort of letter, many pages long, addressed to the contractor, 
explaining to him just how the house is to be built. Specifications some¬ 
times consist of as many as forty or fifty pages of typewriting, telling all 
about the masonry of the house (foundations and chimney), the car¬ 
penter work, the plumbing and heating, painting and glazing, plastering, 
electric work, and so on. The specifications, together with the plans, 
are supposed to cover the entire building of the house, so that the 
contractor can, in the first place, tell in advance precisely what the 
house will cost, and afterwards accurately build it as indicated in the 
plans and specifications. 

Thus plans are a sort of pattern from which the house is built, and 
the specifications are typewritten instructions explaining how to use the 
pattern and telling what kinds of material are to be employed. In order 
to avoid later disappointments, the owner and his family should study 
plans and specifications carefully before the house is started. In a good 
set of plans every item of the future house is forecast so that the owner 
can know just what he will get. 

When working drawings (plans) with their accompanying specifica¬ 
tions are completed and approved by the owner his architect is ready 
to take bids. As it is impracticable for a number of contractors to 
borrow the single set of original drawings and specifications from which 
to make their bids, it is customary for the architect to make a number of 
sets of “blue prints,” so that each contractor can have a set to use at 
this time. Blue prints are exact duplicates of the original plans. Most 
people are familiar with them. 


11 



Taking Bids 

Whenever you start to consider plans and specifications for the new 
house (and this start should be made as many weeks as possible before 
completed working drawings will be needed, in order to allow the archi¬ 
tect sufficient time) you should realize that several more weeks will be 
required after drawings are completed and blue prints made for “taking 
bids.” Of course, many houses are built bj^what is known as “day’s 
work.” That is to say, no competitive bids are taken, but a contractor is 
selected who charges for material and the labor of his men—actual cost 
plus a percentage of profit. This is an excellent way to build, but, 
unfortunately, most owners are required to take competitive bids because 
usually a house costs so much less this way. 

The justice of the “day’s-work” method lies in the fact that an 
owner gets precisely what he pays for. There is no disposition on the 
part of a contractor to “skimp” on work or slyly evade any items in the 
specifications, since the owner pays for all. A disadvantage to the owner 
is that he doesn’t know in advance of building operations just what his 
house will cost. 

For instance, let us suppose an owner decides to have his acquaint¬ 
ance, Mr. Jones, build a house “by the day.” Jones states that he 
supposes the work will cost “somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000”— 
all of which seems about right to the owner. Construction of the house 
proceeds, and as fast as bills for labor and material come in the owner 
pays. Finally the allotted $3000 is gone—and yet the house is not 
completed. Jones evidently made a poor guess when he said the work 
could be done for $3000. Perhaps before they get through another $1000 
will be required, and the owner finds he has a $4000 house instead of a 
$3000 house. 

To be sure, the house may be worth all the owner pays for it. Every 
bill might be absolutely correct and the contractor entirely honorable, 
yet the owner has put more into his house than he anticipated. If he 
had known in advance that the building would run to $4000 he might 
have reduced its size or left out some of the luxuries in order to get down 
to a $3000 cost. 

To the prospective owner of the average small house I would say, by 
all means build under the “contract method.” That is, take compet¬ 
itive bids and “let” the job to one of the bidders (usually the lowest) 
at a stated contract price. Then you will know in advance what your 
building will cost complete. 

Even under contract a house can easily overrun the contract price if 
you keep making changes or adding “extras” during the process of 
building, but you will at least have the project in your own hands to 
increase its cost or not, as you see fit. Also, you must beware under the 
contract method that you or your architect does not forget to include 
everything needed in the plans and specifications, or you may discover, 
as one man did not many years ago, that the staircase has been for¬ 
gotten, or a chimney or some other vital part of the house which must 
be added to make the house complete. Then, naturally, there will be 
an unavoidable “extra.” 


12 



When you employ an architect who takes bids (and here is another 
advantage in having an architect) he will select contractors in various 
lines to bid on your job. Perhaps he will invite half a dozen in each 
field (six masons, six carpenters and the same number of plumbers, 
painters, plasterers and electricians) to figure on the work. Each is 
permitted to borrow a set of blue prints and specifications, which he 
keeps a few days and then returns with his bid. The average bid reads 
about as follows: 

I hereby agree to furnish and erect all 
carpenter work on the J. J. Smith residence 
at Lynn, Massachusetts, according to plans 
and specifications furnished by Wells & 
Moulton, Architects, for the sum of $1927. 

(Signed) J. J. Slack. 

Each of the bidders 

returns a bid similarly worded, and you thus have half a dozen bids 
from each trade. Upon comparing notes you will probably find the 
amounts of bids vary in a surprising way. Though each man has pre¬ 
cisely the same plans and specifications to figure from, one bid may 
be $1927 and another $2800. By adding up the lowest bids for each 
trade an owner can see what the entire house will cost. 

Sometimes the lowest bids are not accepted. One man whose bid 
may be a few dollars higher than the lowest might seem so much more 
desirable as a contractor that the owner decides to employ him, even at 
an increased cost. 

The ethics of taking bids do not require an owner to “let” the job 
necessarily to the lowest bidder, provided the specifications contain a 
clause similar to the following: 

The owner reserves the right to reject any 
or all bids. 

Every contractor understands when he sees this note that even though 
he may be lowest bidder the owner can give the job to a higher (or even 
the highest) bidder. 

In spite of this clause, however, it is the general custom to give a job 
to the lowest bidder. It is assumed that every builder invited to bid is 
first class and each would be satisfactory as a contractor. With only 
first-class builders invited the owner can in all fairness award a contract 
to the lowest. 

Taking separate bids, as explained above, is recommended for small 
houses, because it usually saves money for the owner, though not what 
might be considered the most ideal way for this reason: When a single 
general contract is let to one man (including masonry, carpentry, plumbing 
heating, painting, and so on) you have but a single individual to deal 
with. If things go wrong (and often they do, you know) one man is 
responsible—the general contractor. When separate contracts are let 
(carpentry to Jones, plumbing to Smith, plastering to Brown, and so on) 
you have a number of men to deal with. In the latter event it will be up 


13 



to you or your architect to see that each trade sends its workmen to the 
job promptly. When masons are through with the foundations you must 
see that the carpenters go to the job. When the carpentry is sufficiently 
advanced you must get the plumber at work, and so on. Thus there is 
an endless amount of detail put upon your shoulders which might be 
escaped if a single general contract was let for the entire job (in which case 
the general contractor is obliged to see that all trades are working 
efficiently). 

A general contract usually costs more 

than separate contracts , because the general contractor requires a per¬ 
centage of profit from each of the various trades coming under his super¬ 
vision, so his single general bid is that much higher. When separate 
contracts are let this tax is eliminated. 

As I have stated before, an architect is particularly useful when it 
comes to taking bids. Usually he knows from experience which con¬ 
tractors are most reliable. He also understands what small houses cost, 
and will most likely be careful in drawing plans not to overrun the 
appropriation. During the process of taking bids he will follow up con¬ 
tractors to see that their bids are sent promptly—all of which saves time 
and permits a building to be started that much sooner. Usually complete 
separate bids for a small house can hardly be received under two weeks 
from the time blue prints and specifications are ready. Sometimes it 
takes much longer, depending upon the number of bids taken and the 
rapidity with which contractors send them in. 

To an experienced architect the bids on a building convey considerable 
information. For instance, he can usually tell which bids are too high 
and which too low. The highest, he may suspect, has been made pur¬ 
posely high because for some reason or other that particular contractor 
doesn’t want this job; building ethics requiring him to submit a bid of 
some kind, he puts on an unreasonably high price, knowing there is no 
danger he will be awarded the contract. Then frequently the lowest 
bidder is too low; the architect realizes it would be impossible for a con¬ 
tractor to build at that price and come out whole. Perhaps the man has 
made a mistake, as is frequently the case. Of course, if a man makes a 
bid in good faith, signs the contract and goes ahead with the work, he 
(the contractor) must stand the loss if the building costs more than he 
figured. However, it is always unsatisfactory to the owner when a con¬ 
tractor loses money on a job. No matter how honorable a builder may 
be or how carefully he intends to follow plans and specifications, upon 
realizing he is losing money a builder becomes disheartened and there is 
a disposition to * 1 skin ’ ’ the job in order to reduce losses as much as possible. 

Every reputable builder is worth his hire. He should be permitted to 
make a reasonable profit—which is to the owner’s interest. Owners 
sometimes go so far as to hand the contractor a cash bonus at the end of 
a job when they realize he has lost money. 

The best contractor 

he with whom you prefer to deal, may be not the lowest bidder nor the 
highest. You want a man who has the reputation of being absolutely 


14 



square; one who is efficient and will keep things going at a lively pace; 
one who employs only the highest grade of workmen. If you don’t know 
about the contractor yourself it is to be hoped your architect is better 
informed, for a poor contractor will most assuredly get poor results. No 
matter how carefully you or your architect watch the work, some poor 
work will be slipped in somewhere, causing trouble later. 

Then, too, you need a man with a pleasant disposition, for you should 
remember your contact with him will be almost daily for many weeks. 
There are annoyances (and plenty of them) when building a little house, 
but there will be much less friction when you deal with a pleasant, gentle¬ 
manly builder who is as anxious to keep everything straightened out as 
you are yourself. 

Some contractors—not many of them, however—are cranky. Honest 
enough they may be, but it is hard to do business with them because their 
feelings are so easily ruffled. Then sometimes a contractor is not in 
sympathy with what you are trying to do, and you feel that all he wants 
is to get through as quickly as possible and receive his money. 

Most builders have a reputation of some sort, and it is easy to find 
out about them before starting—a very desirable thing to do if you would 
save trouble later. 



Contracts 


A contract is the contractor’s promise to do certain work for which 
you (the owner) agree to pay a specified price. Contracts are usually 
printed forms, with blank spaces for filling in with writing or typewriting. 
When you have an architect he will prepare the contracts—two for each 
trade represented (one for you and a duplicate for the contractor). When 
you have no architect it is better to have a lawyer make out your con¬ 
tracts if you have had no experience in this line. 

Briefly, the contract states that John Jones, Party of the First Part 
(Contractor), agrees to perform certain labor and furnish certain materials 
for the Carpenter Work (let us say) in a house to be erected in Phila¬ 
delphia, Pennsylvania, according to plans and specifications furnished 
by Smith & Hicks, Architects, and under their supervision. 

Charles Bates, Party of the Second Part (Owner), agrees to pay certain 
sums for said work, provided all labor and material are as set forth in 
plans and specifications. The time when payments are due is stated, and 
further items concerning insurance, progress of the work, quality of 
workmanship, and the like. 

After the owner and contractor have signed their names at the bot¬ 
tom of each of the two contracts a contract is legally operative. John 
Jones must then proceed to build the house and Charles Bates must make 
his payments at the times mentioned. Of course, when separate contracts 
are let there must be a set of two for each trade involved (mason work, 
carpenter work, painting, heating, plumbing, plastering, electric work, 
and so on). 

Under an architect’s or lawyer’s direction contracts are most easily 
drawn up and the owner does not need to be cautioned particularly. If 
he purchases printed contract forms himself he may be somewhat embar¬ 
rassed to know which to pick out, as many are published, all worded 


15 



differently. In the interests of builders several forms are printed which 
appear to give to builders the best of the bargain, then again there are 
forms which seem unduly to favor the owner (or his agent, the architect). 
Owners should read carefully such forms as they have under consideration 
and see that there are no general clauses included leaving the decision 
of some important matter to the contractor, or which leave too many 
things to be determined by “ arbitration.” Plans, specifications and con¬ 
tracts should be so plain in every item as to admit of no dispute. With 
an architect on the job—a fair-minded, honorable judge—decision on 
any points brought up by the contractor should be satisfactory to all 
parties without the necessity of an arbitration committee. 

Many architects have their own printed forms of contracts, forms 
which are the result of many years’ experience, embodying the latest 
and best practice protecting equally the interests of contractor and owner. 
These are the ideal contracts—impartially fair to both parties. When 
owners and contractors operate under them all or most of those vexatious 
disputes which are sometimes the bane of building are eliminated. 

A good building contract 

states specifically the duties of the contractor, the owner and the architect. 
That is, the contractor is to do careful work, the owner is to furnish 
certain money and the architect is to furnish plans and specifications and 
supervise the construction of the building. In the latter capacity an 
architect, of course, acts as the owner’s agent, and the owner must be 
responsible for what his architect orders. 

Sometimes trouble is caused by some of the parties to a contract not 
knowing what their duties are. For instance, the architect may visit a 
job (in the interests of his client)and give certain directions. Perhaps 
a short time afterwards the owner goes to the building and orders changes 
made at variance with what the architect has instructed. Strange to say, 
the orders of an architect carry above the orders of the owner himself. 
If an owner wishes to give instructions he should inform his architect 
and arrange to have the latter give orders to the contractor. Frequently 
some annoyance is caused by misunderstanding this little point. Of course, 
if the owner is his own building superintendent he issues his own orders. 

When contracts are signed it is a wise plan to have every contractor 
write his name on several of the sheets of plans and in one copy (at least) 
of the specifications; you should sign them also yourself. This is in order 
to “ identify ” plans and specifications in the event of a suit in court. No 
owner likes to contemplate a possible lawsuit in connection with his build¬ 
ing operations. Most men would refuse to build homes if they thought 
themselves liable later to a lawsuit. With a good set of plans and speci¬ 
fications and a disposition to be fair on the part of owner as well as con¬ 
tractor no lawsuit need be feared; at the same time, suits to interpret 
building contracts have occurred in the past and probably may occur 
again, so the owner should be sure that his building contract will "hold 
water” in court. About the first thing necessary to prove in court is 
that the plans and specifications exhibited are the ‘‘ identical instruments ’' 
which are part of the original contract, and that no pen-and-ink or type¬ 
written changes have been made. For this reason the signatures of owner 


16 



and contractor on plans and specifications are a great help, proving beyond 
doubt that they are the original documents. 

As every one knows, there are stories abroad (more or less jokes) that 
all house-owners come to grief over cost of building. “Look out for 
extras!” is the cry. In a building contract (or in the specifications) some 
clause should be included stating that “no extras will be honored by the 
owner unless ordered in writing and signed by the architect (or owner).” 
It is so easy to say to a contractor as the building proceeds, “ Make that 
room a little larger,” or “Add another window in that room.” The builder 
follows instructions, and when the job is done there is a long bill for 
“extras,” many of which the owner has forgotten. He is appalled to find 
they make an almost annihilating attack upon his bank account. 

Requirement of written orders 

for extras should be plainly noted in the contracts, then if an owner or 
architect writes a letter of instructions “in cold blood” there will be no 
doubt about it at the wind-up of the job. It is always better when order¬ 
ing extra work in this way to have entered in the order an agreed-upon 
price for the work. Thus, when ordering an extra bay window have the 
contractor give you a price for the work before you instruct him to go 
ahead. Thus you know in advance what will be charged and can govern 
yourself accordingly. With a carbon copy of every “extra” ordered the 
owner can always keep track of the final total cost of his building and he 
will know just how much money will be required upon completion. 

The ideal way is to have no “extras.” Get everything in your plans 
before starting to build. Examine every inch of the drawings and speci¬ 
fications, making sure that they are just what are wanted before even 
taking bids. Then, once a contract is let, make no changes. This is the 
most practical method of building; few follow it, I regret to say. No mat¬ 
ter how much we study plans, once a building is under construction and 
we see with our eyes the actual size and arrangement of rooms we long 
to change them. Nevertheless, the rule holds good: Don't make changes 
as you go along. If you must make changes, however, make as few as 
possible and weigh them well before you make them. Above all things 
have any changes ordered taken care of by written or typewritten letters 
with the amount of cost entered beyond all dispute. 

Before starting on a building proposition every owner should get a 
blank book or ledger and tabulate each item of cost as he goes along. For 
instance, first enter the contract prices of the house. Then enter every 
written order as fast as issued. Payments made to contractors from time 
to time should also be noted, so the owner knows at a glance just what 
sums he has paid and how much will be due in later payments. 

Architects usually keep a ledger in like manner, and the owner’s 
building accounts should, therefore, check up with the architect’s. 

How to Bui Id a Frame House 

No part of the house should be more rigidly designed and constructed 
than the foundation walls, for dependent upon their strength and endur¬ 
ance is the durability of the entire building. There are many excellent 


17 



materials for foundations, but it will be wisdom on the part of the owner 
to select that which is cheapest in the particular locality in which he is 
building. For instance, near a source of stone supply stone foundations 
may be cheapest and most satisfactory. Away from that portion of the 
country where stone abounds cement concrete might prove cheapest and 
best. Then there are hollow tile (excellent for foundations) and brick 
(when very hard and dense). 

These are all good materials. The owner can readily find out which 
will prove most economical for his house by inquiring of local builders. 

Each building material used for foundations has its own friends, but 
the majority of architects and builders have come to the conclusion that 
cement concrete, stone, tile and brick are all good for the purpose, and 
the selection of any one of them should be governed by price. 

In a locality where all materials abound, comparative cost is about 
as follows: 

Comparative Cost of Foundation Materials 

(1) Concrete blocks, solid concrete or clay tile. 

(2) Brick. 

(3) Stone. 

(N. B.) Cost of these materials, of course, varies in different locali¬ 
ties, but it will be often found, as stated above, that concrete blocks, 
solid concrete, and clay tile are about the same price, though in some 
localities clay tile costs more. 

Before plans are made the prospective owner must decide whether he 
prefers a house built of masonry or the ordinary wooden-frame house. 
These are the two general types of houses—masonry and frame. Steel 
(and steel-frame houses) are occasionally built, but they are so rare in 
America it will not be necessary to consider them here. 

By far the great majority of houses are of wood. Not because wood 
is better than brick, tile, cement or stone, but because it is cheaper. 
Though price of lumber is much higher than a few years ago and frame 
houses cost in some instances twice as much as they did in the early ’90s, 
lumber is still cheaper than masonry materials—that is, cheaper as to first 
cost. No matter how much the builder of a little house may desire to use 
brick, hollow tile or concrete, he must understand that his building appro¬ 
priation will go considerably farther in frame construction. In other 
words, with a limited expenditure of, say, $3000 or $4000 (or even more) 
he can get a larger building for the money in frame than in masonry. 

Besides economy of first cost many other advantages are claimed for 
frame construction. In the first place, a wooden house permits of wide 
variety in color effects: on the shingled house stains of every color, 
ranging through brown, green, red or yellow, giving charming effects 
when used with good taste; on the house covered with clapboards or 
siding paint of any hue can be used. 

Then there is the ease and dispatch with which a frame house goes 
up, frame construction requiring less time than masonry construction. 
Claims are also made that frame houses are less damp than brick houses. 

Of course, exponents of masonry have claims which they make con¬ 
cerning their types of construction, also, and the prospective house-owner 


18 



will do well to listen to both sides of the story before deciding upon his 
material. 

In building a frame house 

the idea to bear mostly in mind is to secure well-seasoned, lumber, most of 
which nowadays is of hemlock, spruce, fir and pine (the latter usually 
Northern, Southern or Western pine.) Hemlock is not the best wood to use 
in the framework of a house. Spruce will do very well w T hen well seasoned. 

Among the woods now used extensively for framing and interior 
finish some mention should be made of fir (often called Douglas fir). 
Fir makes excellent wood for studding and floor beams. It also makes 
a good and inexpensive interior finish, as the grain is very attractive when 
stained. Fir is also used for porch floors. 

In the average carload of lumber hemlock, spruce and pine (not 
“white” pine) are usually mixed together and one is obliged to take what 
one can get. You can at least, however, insist upon “seasoned ” lumber— 
that is, lumber that has been piled outdoors in a lumber yard for several 
months, permitting air to circulate through it and dry out the sap always 
present in wood freshly cut. While lumber is drying it shrinks, and that 
is what you require—all boards properly shrunk, so that when used in 
building they will not shrink further and cause cracks in plaster and 
woodwork. Unlike finishing lumber (such as is used for window-casing, 
base-boards and finished flooring), rough lumber used for the framework 
of a house should never be kiln dried. 

There are several ways to build the wooden framework of a house, 
though all might be divided into two general types of construction— 
“ framed ” framing (if such an incongruous term may be permitted) and 
balloon framing. The former is a method usually employed in the East 
and South and the latter is chiefly used in the West. Some character¬ 
istics of the former type are upright studs and posts fastened to a 
horizontal sill by means of “ mortise-and-tenon ” joints (the studs are 
said to be “framed” into the sill), consisting of square holes (mortises) 
cut in the sill to receive the square stems (tenons) cut on the ends of the 
studs. Then there are other features of the Eastern frame, such as heavy 
horizontal supporting timbers (girt) under second-story floor joists and 
diagonal wind braces at the corner posts, with the result that the entire 
framework is a most substantial unit of construction that would stand 
until the end of time if it did not decay. 

Balloon framing, as practiced in the West, usually consists of a 
cheaper method in which most of the timbers are smaller in size and 
secured by means of spikes instead of mortises and tenons. Instead of a 
heavy girt under second-floor joists a light inch plank is used (called 
“ledger”). Then as a rule diagonal wind braces are omitted. 

It would seem that the balloon frame is less substantial than old- 
fashioned mortise-and-tenon framing; however, thousands of houses are 
built this way and prove entirely satisfactory. With timbers of good 
quality, properly spiked, there is no doubt that the balloon frame is quite 
satisfactory and usually costs less than more elaborate construction. 

The discreet house-owner will do well to follow the method of framing 
in vogue in his locality, as he can usually get best results by using a type 


19 



of construction with which local builders are most familiar, thus avoiding 
unnecessary complications. 

The framework of a house 

is usually boarded over on the outside with matched boards, which are in 
turn covered with a thickness of building paper fitted tightly around 
window and door openings. Building paper is really of great importance, 
for it is this paper skin which keeps out wind. As every one knows, it isn’t 
the low temperature of winter that makes rooms cold so much as it is the 
pressure of icy winds seeking out every crack and crevice in the building, 
and through them entering to produce those frigid “drafts” with which 
we are all unfortunately so familiar. Watch thoroughly, then, during the 
process of building and see that building paper covers every portion of 
the outside walls. Permit no cracks, however small, to remain uncovered 
(frequently overlooked by careless workmen). 

Next after building paper comes the exterior “weather boarding” (as 
it is called). This may consist of shingles or ordinary siding (the latter 
often called “clapboards”). Since this exterior covering is the part that 
must withstand weather and upon which the durability of your house 
depends, you will naturally select the kind of material from which it is 
made, wisely. White pine and cypress are the two woods most generally 
used for exterior finish (for siding as well as window-frames and cornices). 
Within a few years “Western” pine has come into the market for this 
purpose, and quite recently “gum” wood has been used for siding. You 
must depend upon the advice of your architect or your lumber dealer 
when it comes to selecting the proper kind of wood for exterior finish. 
White pine and cypress are undoubtedly the most permanent, though 
they are not by any means the cheapest when it comes to first cost. 

On the Pacific Coast “redwood” makes an excellent exterior (and 
interior) finish. It is not generally used in many other markets, however. 

Brick-veneered houses 

as ordinarily built are regular frame houses with an outside veneering of 
brick, four inches thick. In these houses the boarding is covered with 
waterproof paper, just as in any frame house. Spikes are driven into the 
boarding and permitted to stick out sufficiently to bond with the brick 
which are laid by the masons. Upon completion a brick-veneered house 
looks like a solid brick house. 

For the roof there are wooden shingles consisting of pine, white and 
red cedar and redwood; then there are various brands of what are known 
as “composition” shingles, a material consisting of several layers of 
asphalted felt or burlap to which is fixed an exterior surface of crushed 
stone, ground slate or ground tile. These come usually in four colors, 
“natural” (stone), “green,” “blue” (slate) and “red” (tile). Composi¬ 
tion (sometimes called “asphalt”) shingles are excellent where a light, 
attractive, economical roof is wanted. Usually they are warranted for 
ten years by the manufacturer—considerably longer than the warrant 
given for an ordinary shingle roof. Many claim composition shingles will 
wear longer than ten years. 

Several other kinds of roofing materials are in the market, many con¬ 
sisting of felt or a heavy paper substance made in layers with oils, wax or 


20 



pitch, under enormous hydraulic pressure to produce a tough, weather- 
resisting roof. Most of them can be secured in a number of colors, some 
in rolls and some in large sheets. As such they are even more economical 
to lay than individual shingles, for the labor cost is less. In buying roofing 
materials of this kind it is best to patronize only a concern of known 
reputation; one that will stand behind its product and upon whose claim 
you may absolutely depend. It is comparatively easy to ascertain from 
manufacturers where their goods have been used and with what results. 

To the builder of the little house who desires a permanent roof there 
are several excellent materials, most of them well known. Asbestos 
shingles are enduring, light in weight and attractive. They can be had in 
natural (gray) and several other colors—notably red. Slate has been 
used so much that all are familiar with it. “ Blue” slate and “green” 
slate are the more ordinary colors, though “red” is sometimes used. Tiles 
made of clay make excellent roofs, the prevailing colors being red and 
green; then there are tiles made of cement, which can be had in many 
colors and in “natural” (gray). 

All these materials are satisfactory and the house-owner will have no 
difficulty in selecting that which he considers best for his house. The cost 
is about in the following order, the first being cheapest and the last most 
dear (bearing in mind,that prices vary in different sections of the country): 

(1) Wood shingles. 

(2) Composition sheet roofing (in some sections this costs less than 
wood shingles). 

(3) Composition shingles (often about the price of wood shingles). 

(4) Asbestos shingles. 

(5) Slate. 

(6) Cement tile. 

(7) Clay tile. 

N. B.—In many towns there is hardly any difference in cost between 
some of the materials mentioned above. For instance, asbestos shingles 
and slate are frequently alike in price. 

The kind of nails used for applying your roofing is of quite as much 
importance as the material. No matter how enduring the latter is, it will 
last only as long as the nails. Copper nails (copper-plated or “copper- 
clad ”) are, of course, most permanent. Next to these come galvanized-iron 
nails. In the cheaper work the latter are usually specified and the former 
are most often used on more expensive roofs, such as asbestos, slate or tile. 

Also the metal work of a roof (gutters, valleys, hips and ridges) must 
be carefully planned to make a good, tight, weather-resisting shelter. 
Copper is best, tin and galvanized iron are next best. When tin is to be 
used specify some well-known brand with the maker’s name stamped 
legibly on each sheet. Then you will have behind your roof a manu¬ 
facturer bound to maintain the quality of his product. 

Cement-Plastered Exteriors 

An excellent material for covering the exterior of frame (or masonry) 
houses is cement plaster, sometimes popularly known as “stucco.” Many 
seeing these houses for the first time think theyareof masonry construction. 
Often prospective house-owners are surprised to find that the “stucco” 


21 



house they have in mind to build is merely of frame construction covered 
with cement plaster. 

In the first stages a frame house to be plastered is built precisely like 
any ordinary frame house—that is, on a masonry foundation a sill is laid, 
to which the open framework of timber is secured, the entire frame then 
being boarded over on the outside with matched boards. Then comes 
building paper, which in a plaster house usually consists of heavier 
material than that required for the ordinary house. Waterproof felt is 
mostly preferred, and it is well to get a specific brand that has been 
proved b)^ the test of time. 

After building paper is secured there are two general methods of 
lathing—one, metal lathing on wood or metal-furring strips, and the 
other, wood lathing on wood-furring strips. Each method has its own 
enthusiastic supporters. Both ways are successful when the lathing is 
properly applied. Probably the majority of architects having the widest 
experience use metal lathing, the idea being that wood laths might swell 
slightly in wet weather, shrinking again in dry weather, all of which is 
liable to crack the plaster. Metal lathing of the proper sort does not 
change. 

To prepare for metal lathing 

nail to the outside walls of the building vertical furring strips of wood or 
metal, about twelve inches apart. To these strips metal lathing is nailed. 
Metal lathing should be a specified brand of galvanized (or paint-dipped) 
lathing. It is necessary to use galvanized or painted lathing to prevent 
disintegration from rust later, as ordinary cement plaster is not entirely 
waterproof and dampness will attack unprotected metal. Naturally, 
metal lathing should also be applied with galvanized-iron staples. There 
are many reliable brands of metal lathing to use and you will have no 
difficulty in selecting one made by a manufacturer of good reputation. 

When wood laths are used 

they should be narrow (1-inch) laths (ordinary inside laths are V/% inches 
wide) well applied at least half an inch apart. Indeed, many architects 
recommend five-eighths to three-quarters of an inch apart for wood laths, 
so the plaster will flow into the interstices between laths and grip firmly. 
Many plastering contractors dislike to apply wood laths so wide open, as 
much more mortar is required this way. To secure the best job you 
should insist upon wide gaps between laths, however. 

Once metal or wood laths have been applied the building is ready for 
its exterior finish of cement plaster (popularly known as “stucco”), 
usually about half an inch thick and applied in two or three coats. First 
a coat of mortar is used “pushed” firmly against the laths so that it will 
flow through the openings and grip. This coat is usually left rough and 
allowed to become hard, after which it is followed up with a somewhat 
smoother coat; then the final finishing coat is applied. 

For those who prefer a rough-looking finish, called “rough cast,” 
small-sized crushed stone is mixed with the mortar in the final coat of 
plaster. Then the material is thrown (“cast”) against the groundwork 
of previous plaster, leaving a coarse, stony surface. To those who prefer 


22 



a smoother finish what is known as “sand finish” is applied. Sand finish 
is a final coat of mortar in which is mixed coarse sand. It is applied in the 
ordinary way with trowels. After application, when the plaster has 
lightly stiffened it is scoured with wooden trowels, slightly tearing it and 
producing that medium surface so pleasing. Rough cast is the most 
enduring of these finishes, however, because of the tough weather- 
resisting finish secured by means of crushed stone imbedded in cement. 

Many architects prefer to use 

a specified brand of rough cast made by some reliable manufacturer who 
ships his material in bags ready to use (upon merely adding water). An 
advantage in using ready-prepared material lies in the fact that it is 
usually machine-mixed accurately according to some formula, and you 
need not then depend upon the vagaries of your plastering contractor, who 
might make a mistake in his self-mixed ingredients. Another advantage 
in the prepared plaster is the facility with which one may choose any 
particular color or texture from a manufacturer’s sample panels—and the 
assurance that the contractor will produce a finish that exactly matches 
the sample. 

The proportionate cost of different exterior finishes for a frame house 
is about in the following order, though you should remember that, cost of 
materials varying in different sections of the country, this table cannot 
be accepted as applying everywhere: 


Comparative Cost of Various Exterior Finishes 


(1) Clapboards or siding. 

(2) Shingles. 

(3) Sand-finish cement plaster 
(self-prepared). 


(4) Rough-cast cement plaster 
(self-prepared). 

(5) Rough-cast cement plaster 
(manufacturers’ brand). 

(6) Brick veneer. 


Masonry Houses 

Many do not care to build a frame house, claiming that houses of 
masonry are more enduring and thus the increased cost of a masonry 
house is more than offset by the permanency of masonry construction. 
Then particularly in brick houses there is opportunity to secure architec¬ 
tural effects impossible with a frame house. 

The most used materials for masonry houses are hollow tile, hollow 
concrete blocks, solid concrete, brick and stone. All of these are endur¬ 
ing, and, properly employed, secure a building that should last for years 
without repairs. 

Hollow tile is usually made of clay, hard burned in a kiln until it 
becomes so dense that practically no dampness can be absorbed by it 
This is one way to test hollow tile for density: Pour a few drops of water 
on the surface; if it soaks in quickly you may know the material is soft 
and inferior. 

As usually manufactured hollow tile for masonry walls are 8 inches by 
12 inches by 12 inches, and 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, the 
former making a wall 8 inches thick and the latter a 12-inch wall. In 


23 



most little houses 8-inch exterior walls are sufficient on the first story as 
well as the second story. For interior partitions tile may be as thin 
as 3 inches. 

Most hollow-tile houses are faced on the outside with cement plaster 
(precisely like frame “stucco” houses). To secure a good bond between 
tile and plaster the former are made with deep grooves cast in them. Thus 
a house with tile made for exterior plaster shows deep grooves all over its 
exterior surface. When cement plaster is applied it flows into these 
grooves and grips much in the same way that plaster flows between laths 
and grips. There are several brands of hollow tile in the market, some 
made to stand on edge and some to be laid sidewise. The former are most 
extensively used. Correspondence with any reliable manufacturer will 
inform the owner as to the proper kind of tile for his job. 

Hollow tile have also been made of cement pressed under great 
hydraulic pressure into tough satisfactory building units, somewhat 
larger in size than clay hollow tile. 

Hollow concrete blocks are too well known to require explanation 
here. They can be had in all sizes, with many different exterior surfaces, 
smooth or rough. In many blocks surfaces are finished with crushed 
granite, producing the effect of stone. Other blocks are left rough, to be 
plastered on the outside, producing an ordinary “stucco” house. 

Solid “cast-concrete” houses have been built by erecting molds on 
both sides of each wall and then “pouring” in concrete. Once the 
material has hardened walls are as though carved out of solid stone. 
Work of this character is more practical when cast “hollow.” That is, 
some system of molds is used (“forms,” they are called) which permits a 
hollow air space in the center of the wall—quite necessary to prevent 
dampness from soaking straight through the wall in rainy weather. Solid 
walls (without an air space) are usually cold in winter and hot in summer, 
a result which can be largely improved when a hollow air space in the 
interior is provided. In purchasing concrete blocks or in building solid 
concrete walls be sure the material is prepared by expert workmen only, 
as poor concrete is unsatisfactory. 

Most builders of little houses 

are familiar with brick and know in a general way how brick houses are 
built. Modern brick houses are quite different from old-fashioned ones, 
however, as many improvements in brick construction have recently 
been introduced. 

In the first place, desirable “hollow-wall” houses are now possible in 
brick by the use of hollow tile for backing up the wall. To speak more 
correctly, hollow-tile houses are built faced with brick on the outside. 
Thus you have the advantage of the hollow wall in a brick house at no 
increased cost over an old-fashioned solid wall. Building in this way, the 
tile are laid up just as when building for a cement-plastered house, but 
little bands of galvanized iron (called “wall ties”) are left sticking out 
from the joints of tile. Then the bricklayers build up an outside skin of 
brickwork (one brick in thickness, 4 inches), building in the metal wall 
ties. The result is a secure, firm, enduring wall of tile on the inside and 
brick on the outside. 


24 



Another great advance in brick houses has been made possible by 
improvements in manufacture. Rough-faced brick, making possible 
beautiful effects unknown to old-time architects and builders, are now 
manufactured everywhere. The first of these desirable brick to appear 
were known as “tapestry” brick, and they continue to be marketed 
under that name, though other manufacturers of rough-faced brick or 
“texture” brick use different names for their brands. 

Stone houses are rarest of all, though many are built in sections of the 
country where stone is plentiful and cheap. Use only sound stone taken 
from deep in the ledge below the stratum of “rotten” or soft stone which 
usually lies near the surface of the ground. Any inexperienced house¬ 
owner can judge of stone by picking up a small piece in the hands and 
sounding it with a hammer. Soft, inferior stone crumbles under this test. 


Fireproof Houses 

Many architects making a specialty of designing houses are very 
much impressed with the desirability of building them fireproof. They 
reason that when one is spending several thousands of dollars for a house 
one might as well go a little beyond this and make the building absolutely 
or practically indestructible, using fireproof material for interior parti¬ 
tions and floors as well as for exterior walls. Of course, any masonry 
material, such as concrete, stone, hollow tile or brick, is more or less 
fireproof, and any of these can be employed for exterior walls. For floors 
and interior partitions concrete or hollow tile is used; often both are 
employed in the same building, for many systems of fireproof floors 
consist of concrete and hollow tile combined. 

Strictly speaking, the ordinary “fireproof” house is not so fire-resist¬ 
ing as, say, an office building containing metal doors and wire-glass 
windows. Metal doors and wire-glass (fireproof) windows are hardly 
practicable for the average house, however, owing to the great expendi¬ 
ture they would involve, but the term “fireproof” is now pretty generally 
considered to cover the average house in which walls, floors and interior 
partitions are built of masonry, though wooden doors and ordinary 
windows may be used. Best houses of this class, however, have support¬ 
ing slabs of fireproof construction under all staircases, though the steps 
themselves may be of wood. 

Note the comparative cost 

of various types of house construction contained in the following table 
(the reader should understand that no definite statement as to cost will 
accurately cover conditions in every part of the country). To ascertain 
accurate cost of various types of houses it is always best to talk with 
local builders or architects familiar with local prices and customs: 


( 1 ) 

( 2 ) 

(3) 

(4) 


Comparative Cost of Various 

Frame. (5) 

Frame, cement-plastered. (6) 

Frame, brick-veneered. (7) 

Cement blocks, cement-plastered; (8) 
Hollow tile, cement-plastered. 


Types of Houses 

Hollow tile, brick-veneered. 

Solid brick. 

Stone. 

Fireproof. 


25 






Finishing the Interior 

Well in advance of preparing actual specifications the architect will 
require the owner to settle upon the kind of interior finish required— 
what woods will be employed for floors and interior trim, and what kind 
of paint or stain is to be used. All this information should, of course, be 
incorporated in the original specifications, so that contractors who bid on 
the job will know what they are figuring on. 

The kinds of wood most prevalent 

in any locality are usually the most economical to use, though many of 
these may be shipped from a distance. As a general thing, house-owners 
can find in neighboring houses recently built a practical illustration of 
various kinds of wood. Dealers advertising gum wood, cypress, yellow 
pine, white pine, oak and other woods offer free information, and samples 
can be obtained from them. Cost of the various woods are about in the 
following proportion, though there is considerable fluctuation in prices 
taken in different towns. The reader will do well to take prices in his 
own locality: 

(1) Yellow pine (sometimes called “Southern” pine) 

(2) Gum wood. 

(3) Fir, Cypress. 

(4) Birch. 

(5) Maple. 

(6) Oak, chestnut, walnut and other unusual woods. 

(7) White pine. 

N. B.—On the Pacific Coast “redwood” is cheap and effective. 

It will be seen by reference to this table that ordinary soft white pine, 
formerly the cheap wood used in kitchens and service quarters, is now 
even more costly than oak (in most markets), as the supply of pine is now, 
unfortunately, very much depleted. 

In finishing a little house 

except on the Pacific Coast, yellow pine, gumwood, cypress, birch and 
oak are the most popular woods in many sections of the country. Any 
one of these can be used throughout the house or many different woods 
can be employed, one kind in one room and another kind elsewhere. 

When yellow pine is used it is ordinarily finished with oil, shellac, 
varnish, wax, or stain (not painted). Many delightful tints can be secured 
with stain or wood dye—greens, browns, grays or reds. They may be 
purchased ready mixed from manufacturers. All makers of stains have 
sample color-cards which they usually send direct to the house-owner, or 
he may see them at his paint dealer’s. Many concerns maintain elaborate 
house-decorating departments for the convenience of owners and archi¬ 
tects. Advice on all points connected with the use of paint or stain is 
freely given. Many magazines have departments conducted by experts, 
from which the owner can get any information required. 

Gumwood makes an excellent interior finish when stained or merely 
waxed. Any shade of brown seems to bring out the grain of gumwood 
best, though gumwood is extremely decorative and can be stained or 
painted any color at will. 


26 



Fir and cypress can be either stained or painted, and the same may 
be said of birch, which takes stain readily and is often painted. In fact, 
birch, being a close-grained hardwood, is excellent for enameling. 

Oak is generally stained or merely waxed. There are scores of ways 
to treat it, with or without filler, depending upon the cost and general 
effect desired. 

The Use of “Stock” Materials 

It is now pretty generally the custom to buy what are known as 
“ stock ’ ’ doors. Many large manufacturing concerns make a specialty of 
doors. These can be had in all sizes and shapes and in many beautiful 
designs, so the house-owner will have no difficulty in selecting those 
which go best, architecturally, with the style of his house. “Stock” 
doors usually have an advantage over doors made to order at a local mill, 
because they are, as a rule, better made. Door manufacturing has come 
to be a science, and concerns manufacturing in large quantities are 
usually better equipped to furnish well-made doors than local mills. 
Indeed, many local mills now buy their doors from door manufacturers, 
not attempting to manufacture them themselves. 

The interior trim for a little house (such as window and door casings, 
baseboards, panels and the like) should be simple in pattern though not 
necessarily plain boards. Often it will be found that when woodwork is 
to be painted moldings look best; when woodwork is to be stained broad 
flat surfaces, displaying the grain of the wood, look best. There is no rule 
about this, however, and skilled architects use both molded and flat 
surfaces with good effect. 

In many cases it is a good idea to use wall paneling in a dining-room 
or hall where wear on walls is most severe. When this is done care should 
be taken to have panels of simple design. Elaborate paneling with huge 
complicated moldings is certainly out of place in a little house, to say 
nothing about its excessive cost. 

In the most carefully built houses 

it is a custom to paint all trim on the back before it is nailed against the 
wall. Thus each length of wood is entirely protected by paint, and will 
be less liable, therefore, to swell in damp weather. Paneling should be 
protected on the back in the same way. Many architects require trim 
to be painted (or stained) on the face before it is applied , to protect it from 
dampness.during the construction period. Of course no trim should be 
permitted in a building until the plaster is entirely dry. To keep a build¬ 
ing dry all windows should be in place before any trim is sent to the 
building. Lumber is always dried out in a drying kiln before it is worked 
into trim and doors. 

Paint , Stain , Wax and Varnish 

In specifying paint, stain, wax or varnish the house-owner will be 
more certain of a good job if he specifies branded goods, giving the names 
of manufacturers plainly in his specifications. As previously stated, when 
a particular brand is specified (the owner can assure himself that he gets 


27 



the brand specified by insisting upon viewing the original cans or kegs) 
he has the backing of the manufacturer who made the goods. All reliable 
concerns feel the responsibility of maintaining the quality of their prod¬ 
ucts and they use every endeavor to maintain uniformity. At the same 
time, it is a great convenience to the owner to have access to manufacturer’s 
sample panels and color-cards showing precisely how any color effect is 
obtained. This eliminates all (often unsuccessful) experimenting on the 
part of a painting contractor, who need simply buy the goods specified. 

For exterior paint (when the painter mixes his own) there are many 
reputable brands of white lead and zinc any of which should give entire 
satisfaction. It is usually wise to see the original package in which lead 
or zinc comes to assure yourself that the painter is using the brand 
specified. 

White enamel is now used extensively for finishing interior woodwork. 
Enamel makes an excellent finish, most attractive and very durable. It 
may be wiped off or even washed without injury. There are many excel¬ 
lent brands backed up by reliable manufacturers. 

When stain or wood dye is used 

for woodwork there are several ways to finish it. First, after stain is 
applied to the wood you can merely wax it, producing an attractive dull 
gloss, or you may shellac or varnish it. As mentioned before, it is always 
better for the inexperienced owner to examine finished sample panels 
from manufacturers before he attempts to settle upon interior finishes. 
Then his painter can conform to the panels selected. This applies also to 
shingle stain, of which there are several well-known brands. 

In using wax or varnish the same advice applies. Usually it pays to 
specify a particular brand of known quality, for many cheap, inferior 
waxes and varnishes are sold to painters, the use of which would make a 
poor, unsatisfactory job. Good brands, though costing more in the first 
place, will (if applied properly) give economical, enduring results. 

For those who like the wearing qualities of varnish but do not care for 
a “shiny” finish there are several good brands of dull varnish. 

On the interior walls 

you may use paint, wall paper or one of the widely advertised brands of 
glazed wall coverings. When paint (calcimine or wall tint) is to be used 
it is often the custom to have the plaster walls finished slightly rough 
(called “sand finish.”) When tinted a soft, velvety effect is produced 
that is quite pleasing. Ordinary calcimine can be used or one of the more 
permanent wall tints now so widely advertised. 

Smooth walls are best for wall covering or wall paper. The former is 
now made in many pretty patterns of glazed cloth. This material can be 
used in kitchen, bathrooms and service quarters only, or throughout the 
house. It can be washed without injury, hence it is very popular with 
housekeepers. 

Calcimine cannot be cleaned and must be renewed when soiled. Some 
of the better brands of wall finish, however, can be washed. Several are 
in the market. A little investigation on the part of the owner will 
convince him of their efficacy. 


28 




Interior Plastering 


No advice on the interior finishing of a house would be complete 
without a few hints concerning interior plastering. In most cases a house 
is lathed and plastered inside, using lj^-inch laths and ordinary lime 
mortar. Unfortunately, one of the most difficult tasks in building is to 
secure a first-class job of plastering. When plasterers are at work such a 
muss exists in all the rooms that it is rarely possible for the owner or his 
architect to get inside until the plasterers are through. Even when the 
first coat is applied and drying ready for the second coat, one cannot 
usually tell whether the final coat will be straight and true or not. The 
best way to insure a good job is to employ only some plasterer who has 
the reputation of always doing good work. Mechanics should use a long, 
straight edge as a guide when putting on the final coat, so that all walls 
and ceilings will be straight and true, with none of those unpleasant 
undulating surfaces with which we are all so familiar. Before plastering 
it is a good thing to look over all the interior partitions and make sure the 
carpenters have made them straight and plumb. 

Plaster board is often used with excellent results in place of laths. 
Plaster board is a composition of paper and plaster pressed under enor¬ 
mous hydraulic pressure into tough sheets, ready for nailing to the studs 
(thus no laths are required). One or two coats of finishing plaster is then 
applied. With plaster board it is easy to get a true job, because the plaster 
board itself furnishes a straight groundwork for the finishing plaster. 
Plaster board also has an advantage over laths in that it is comparatively 
fire-resisting. 

For those who wish to dodge the entire plastering proposition there 
are numerous brands of wall board which come in sheets ready to nail 
directly to the studs. This material can be left in its natural state with 
no further finish (save strips of finishing wood nailed over the joints, 
forming panels), or it can be painted or treated with wall covering or wall 
paper. Some wall board is composed entirely of paper or pulp (card¬ 
boardlike in consistency) pressed under hydraulic pressure into tough, 
durable sheets. Another brand has a core of narrow strips of wood, with 
a tough paper finishing surface both sides. Technical names for such- 
material vary, “wall board’' and “composition board” being terms by 
which it is usually known. 



The heating and plumbing system for a little house will, of course, 
demand a share of attention from the new house-owner desirous that his 
house shall be comfortable. Modern heating systems are much more 
efficient than old-fashioned ones. Modern hot-air furnaces, hot-water 
and steam-heating boilers have been developed to a very high state of 
efficiency, so if he chooses wisely, avoiding dealing with concerns whose 
reputation for fair dealing is not well established, the owner need antici¬ 
pate no difficulty here. 

Efficient heating apparatus is, of course, designed to perform the 
function of heating with economy. Any hot-air furnace, hot-water or 


29 



steam boiler which merely delivers an abundance of heat with no economy 
of fuel cannot be considered as desirable apparatus. 

The idea prevailing in all best designs of heating apparatus is to 
secure all the heat it is possible to get out of the fuel , permitting only a small 
percentage of heat-producing gases to waste into the chimney. 

Manufacturers issue catalogs containing cuts of the interior construc¬ 
tion of their apparatus. Owners should realize that buying a heater is 
much like buying a watch—the inside is much more important than the 
outside. 

Hot-air heat 

is employed in many little houses and hot-air apparatus has many 
advantages—notably lower first cost. A modern hot-air furnace is very 
desirable, giving fresh, warmed air to the rooms in abundance when the 
furnace is large enough and pipes are properly installed. Any hot-air 
furnace should be tightly cased with iron, steel or brick. For economical 
fuel combustion the “radiator” contained in or near the combustion 
chamber should be sufficiently large to get all the heat possible out of the 
fuel. As an improvement upon the ordinary hot-air furnace, it is now 
possible to buy what is known as an “underfeed” furnace, one said to 
burn practically all the smoke, and hence more economical. 

Combination hot-air and hot-water heaters are really hot-air furnaces 
containing a “heating coil” for supplying a few radiators with hot-water 
heat. Thus some rooms are warmed by means of hot-air registers and 

some with hot-water radiators. 

« 

Hot-water heaters 

are said to burn less coal than hot-air furnaces and all rooms can be 
uniformly warmed, even in windy weather. Some boilers are made with 
cast-iron drums set one on top of the other (“vertical” type); others 
consist of sections set horizontally and coupled together (“horizontal” 
type); in other styles boilers are built of steel sheets riveted together. 

Steam boilers are made in about the same way—that is, some are 
vertical, some horizontal and some are built of steel sheets, a somewhat 
different interior arrangement being provided, however, to produce a 
steam chamber in which steam collects before it enters the mains. 

In a hot-water system boiler pipes and radiators are filled with water 
up to a point above the highest radiator (in attic), where the “expansion ” 
tank is placed, the latter acting as a sort of safety-valve to permit 
expansion of hot water without straining the system. 

Water in a steam system is contained in the boiler only. Usually the 
boiler is filled to a point about one-fourth below the top, the space thus 
left being the “steam chamber.” Steam from this chamber enters the 
mains and passes rapidly to the radiators. 

Radiators are of pressed steel (or iron) and cast iron. Hot-water 
patterns differ somewhat from steam patterns. Also hot-water valves 
are different, as well as hot-water piping, one pipe being frequently used 
for steam where two are required for hot water. 

“Vacuum” or “vapor” heating systems are really steam systems 
with vacuum automatically maintained in the pipes. These are usually 


30 



considered too expensive for the average little house, most of which are 
equipped either with hot-air furnaces or hot-water heaters. The com¬ 
parative cost of the various types is about as follows: 

Comparative Cost of Heating Systems 

(1) Hot Air. 

(2) Steam. 

(3) Hot Water. 

(4) Vacuum or Vapor. 


Plumbing comes right along in line with the heating. In fact, often 
the heating system is installed by the plumber, though not necessarily so, 
for "steam fitting” (as the trade is called) is a separate trade. Hot-air 
furnaces come usually in the tinsmith’s contract. 

In plumbing the same rules hold good as in heating. Use only 
standard apparatus, such as can be purchased from any reliable dealer. 
Most plumbing goods are now standard as to quality, standards having 
been adopted by all leading manufacturers. 

Ware for ordinary plumbing fixtures comes in practically three most 
generally used materials—enameled iron, vitreous ware and porcelain. 
In addition to these there are the ordinary iron kitchen sinks (now 
practically obsolete), copper and German silver pantry sinks and soap¬ 
stone and cement laundry tubs. Wooden laundry tubs are no longer 
used. Marble and slate kitchen sinks are much less used than formerly. 
Comparative cost of the three general materials mentioned above is as 
follows: 

Comparative Cost of Plumbing Materials 

(1) Enameled iron. 

(2) Vitreous ware. 

(3) Porcelain. 

Thanks to progressive manufacturers whose magazine illustrations 
are viewed by millions, enameled iron is too well known to require des¬ 
cription here. Very few house-owners would think of building without 
having a portion or all of their plumbing fixtures made of this excellent 
sanitary material. 

Vitreous ware is similar to the crockery ware used for water-closets, 
and which can now be obtained in washbowls, as well. Also, vitreous 
ware has come greatly into demand for water-closet tanks. It is exceed¬ 
ingly durable, being acid proof. 

Porcelain is rarely used in little houses, as it is usually considered too 
expensive. This ware looks something like crockery, though more creamy 
(yellowish) in shade. It is more liable to craze than vitreous ware. 

The system of pipes to which the fixtures are attached should, of 
course, consist of a line of cast-iron pipe extending from basement to 
roof, through which it passes to the outside air. At the bottom of the 
"stack” (as it is called) a horizontal pipe slopes gradually to the line of 
tile pipe out in the yard, which connects with the cesspool or sewage 
system. In towns, of course, this line of tile pipe connects with the 
sewer under the street. 


31 








Thus the stack in a good job, receiving fresh air from above the roof 
at all times and with no holes or cracks permitting foul air to enter the 
house, is a complete, sanitary tube, through which sewage is carried away 
from the house. Where each washbowl, bathtub, sink and water-closet is 
attached to the stack a “trap” is provided; an ingenious device which 
permits waste to pass into the stack but prevents foul air from passing 
out of the stack into rooms. 

The arrangement of the plumbing pipes in any house depends, of 
course, somewhat on the location of the house. For instance, in a town 
or city where sewer mains are in the streets a line of sewer pipe extends 
from the basement of the house out to the street, where it connects with 
the main trunk line. This connecting pipe is usually what is known as 
“tile sewer pipe,” as it is not considered necessary to use cast-iron pipe 
for this purpose. 

In the country there are no sewer mains in the streets, and each 
owner must, of course, provide either a catch basin for collecting the 
sewage or what is much better, a septic sewage system. 

A catch basin is usually made of brick or concrete and the iron cover 
at the top permits emptying the catch basin once or twice each season. 

The septic sewage system automatically disposes of house sewage and 
requires very little attention. A sewer pipe leads from the house to the 
“septic tank,” the latter consisting of a concrete, brick, tile or cast-iron 
receptacle arranged so that the liquid part of the sewage flows away, the 
solid parts sinking to the bottom, where bacterial action automatically 
takes place and converts the solids into liquids. From the septic tank 
drain tile is laid in several branch lines just under the surface of the 
ground. Through these pipes liquid (now made harmless) from the 
septic tank flows and seeps into the earth, where nitrification takes place 
by contact with the air. 

This is, broadly speaking, the process of all septic systems, though 
there are many varying methods of bringing about the result. Most 
manufacturers of septic tanks have skilled engineers, who are always glad 
to advise an owner about his sewage disposal problems, gratis. 

Any one can readily see that the plumbing system should be the best 
that money can buy, and house-owners when considering plumbing bids 
should take into consideration the character of the bidders. Only a 
plumbing contractor employing expert mechanics should be considered. 
Plumbing fixtures (usually selected before specifications are written, so 
that they can be described in the latter) should be selected with the same 
care from manufacturers whose integrity is unquestionable. 

Hardware 

Hardware is an item of interior and exterior finish that often causes 
trouble later, when not wisely chosen. There are so many different kinds 
of locks, knobs and latches, to say nothing of countless sash-fasteners, 
cupboard-turns, drawer-pulls and other articles comparatively insignifi¬ 
cant in themselves but of tremendous importance to the future comfort 
of the owner and his family, it is no wonder the array of goods is often 
quite bewildering. 


32 



In the average specification as drawn up by an architect individual 
items of hardware are not usually described. Most architects prefer to 
specify what is known as a ‘‘hardware allowance”—that is, a clause in 
the specifications something like this: 

Allow and pay the owner the sum of One 

Hundred Dollars for all finishing hardware 

used in the building. 

As a result of this, every contractor when making out his bid includes 
in his price the sum of $100 for hardware. (N. B.—The amount, of course, 
varies according to the desires of the owner). Then the owner can later 
buy his hardware anywhere he wishes, spending as much as he likes up to 
the amount of $100. 

There are many practical reasons why a hardware allowance is desir¬ 
able instead of attempting to specify each piece in the specifications. An 
allowance included in the specifications protects the owner from “ extras ” 
(because it is involved in the original contract instead of coming in 
afterwards as an “ afterclap ”). At the same time, the allowance method 
gives the owner leisure to look about him during construction of the 
building and view patterns of hardware as made by different manufac¬ 
turers. 

Hardware should he purchased 

with the understanding that “cheap” goods cannot be expected to wear 
as well as well-made goods. Iron or steel hardware plated with brass is 
not so durable as solid brass goods. “ One-tumbler ” locks are less secure 
and much more easily disarranged than “three” or “five” tumbler locks. 
Low-priced front-door sets are much less burglar-proof than better sets in 
which locks are built to be as pick-proof as possible. 

Most manufacturers make cheap goods as well as better goods, and 
the owner can get precisely what he pays for when he trades with a 
reliable dealer whose statements as to quality are to be depended upon. 

It may be said as a general thing that it does not pay to use anything 
but solid brass hardware for outside work in places where rain and snow 
can reach it. Iron or steel hardware, brass-plated, will wear for a time, 
but when the brass wears off rust is bound to result. Solid brass hard¬ 
ware is not necessarily expensive. Most manufacturers now make 
simple, inexpensive patterns in brass, costing but little more than cheaper 
goods. 

Inside the house solid brass hardware is also desirable (any color 
finish can be used) but not absolutely necessary. Good, heavy plate on 
iron or steel may wear unsightly in time, but need not rust if kept away 
from the weather. Hinges for inside doors of little houses are most often 
steel, brass-plated. 

The owner can get many helpful ideas from hardware catalogs, and 
when the matter comes up for definite decision he may go to his dealer 
and view the actual goods. Most manufacturers maintain information 
bureaus and are glad to answer questions, giving advice concerning any 
hardware problem. 


33 



As the Building Grows 

Now your house, we will say, is well under way. All contracts have 
been let, the excavation for the cellar is made and masons have started to 
build the foundation walls. Right at this time the owner must determine 
just how much time he is to devote to what is known as “supervision.” 
If he has an architect, of course, whose duty it is to supervise, it will not 
be necessary for the owner to pay any particular attention to the building 
unless he chooses. However, most people like to watch their homes go 
up, and few stay away entirely during construction. Whether an archi¬ 
tect supervises the building or not, it is customary for the owner to pay 
some attention to the work. It is natural that he should be interested in 
viewing the building to build which is taking so many of his hard-earned 
dollars. 

Avoid as much as possible giving orders on the job direct to con¬ 
tractors when you have an architect. You know what they say about 
“too many cooks.” Contractors slyly joke about enthusiastic owners 
who spend all their time on the job and get in everybody’s way. When 
you have a criticism to make concerning the work go directly to your 
architect and let him straighten it out with the contractor. Of course, if 
you are building without an architect’s supervision you must handle all 
points yourself. 

One of the first rules is patience. Under all circumstances you will get 
along much better if you treat everything in that calm way big business 
men take up the different problems they have to solve. In the first place, 
remember, w T hen a little work, apparently poor, creeps into the job it does 
not necessarily follow that the contractor is trying to “put something 
over” on you. He is more or less at the mercy of his employees, and a 
mechanic or two may slip in some careless, slipshod work when their 
boss’ back is turned. If you notice anything wrong don’t scold and 
carry on, but politely ask that it be corrected, which will be willingly done 
if your contractor is the right kind of a man. 


Sometimes Owners Expect a "Job Too Perfect 


It is often difficult for the inexperienced to determine just what a 
good job is. For instance, one might unreasonably expect the rough 
framework of a house to be built as slick and perfect as the most advanced 
grade of cabinet work; or it might be thought every piece of iron pipe 
should be without marks or rust stains—that every hand-made tile in the 
sun-room floor ought to be perfectly uniform and even. 

To the experienced a good job is readily detected from a bad one. If 
the owner has had little to do with building houses he can get a line on 
construction by viewing some of his friends’ houses. He should remember 
that no house, cost it ever so much, comes out as perfect as though cast 
in a mold, and in the little house it would be unreasonable to expect a 
contractor to put the same grade of workmanship that he would put into 
a $30,000 house. 

Nevertheless, the little house should be well built. All work should be 
done by expert mechanics only, and no slipshod methods need be per¬ 
mitted. 


34 



The owner’s wife often acts as building superintendent. Frequently 
she makes a most efficient helper in this capacity, though I have heard of 
a woman who sat on a nail keg all day and so embarassed workmen that 
she really caused more harm than good. A daily visit to the building by 
the owner’s wife is entirly reasonable and may do much good if criticisms 
are just and made with a little tact. Many women really have a sort of 
genius as building superintendents. Often their eyes are very sharp and 
they detect something which the boss contractor and the architect have 
both missed. Some of the best built homes I have seen were supervised 
by women. No trouble is likely to ensue from a woman’s supervision 
when she is intelligently diplomatic and her dealings are fair and square 
in every way. 

Building a home is just like any other business proposition: You 
must give and take. It is unreasonable for you to expect the contractor 
to do the impossible. When delays are caused (and there will surely be 
delays) it is entirely right to try and make the work go faster, but you 
should not expect a contractor to put men on in such large numbers that 
they will not work efficiently. A little conference with a contractor, 
considering his point of view as well as your own, usually clears up your 
ideas amazingly. 

Bad weather often sets work back. Then there are delays caused by 
non-arrival of material shipped from out of town. These things always 
happen, and when one stops to count up the great number of different 
trades represented in the building of even a small house—the large 
number of mechanics required, the dozens of different materials involved— 
one wonders how houses can be built with as little annoyance as they are. 

Don't worry is a slogan which should be adopted by the owner, his 
wife and every member of his family. Push as hard as you can. Get your 
mechanics to work as fast as they can, but through it all be as fair and 
reasonable as you can. 

Paying the Contractors 

Most inexperienced owners are interested right at the start to know 
just what the custom is regarding payments to contractors. They need 
to know how much the different payments are and just when they will 
fall due, so that they can arrange to meet the amounts. 

Usually a contract states how payments are to be made. For 
instance, a clause may be inserted stating that “$500 is to be paid when 
the foundation is completed, $1200 when the framework is completed and 
$300 when plumbing and heating pipes are roughed in,” and so on. 

The general custom is to hold back at least 15 per cent, of all money 
the contractor is entitled to until the work is done and accepted by the 
owner. For instance, when a contractor has done five hundred dollars’ 
worth of work and a payment is due give him but four hundred and twenty- 
five dollars, reserving the remaining 15 per cent, until the wind-up of the 
job. This sum held in reserve is to protect you and secure for you the 
assurance that the job will be completed according to contract. If a con¬ 
tractor should fail to perform his contract and it becomes necessary for 
you to engage another contractor to complete it in his place you have this 
15 per cent, out of which to pay the other contractor. 


35 



When there is no architect 

a lawyer’s advice concerning payments is often well worth while. When 
payments are made it is customary to demand from the contractor a 
“waiver of lien” covering the work for which payment is made. After 
the building is entirely completed a waiver of lien is usually required 
from each contractor for all labor and materials used in the completed 
house. Such a legal instrument makes it impossible for contractors 
(through error or otherwise) to come back and collect again from the 
owner. 

Often delays in building are caused by the owner himself, who does 
not decide promptly matters left to his decision. Thus he may not pick 
out the kind of brick for foundation and chimney promptly, and the 
mason loses a few days waiting for the owner to make up his mind. 

Much of the material used in a house comes from distant points. 
Plumbing and heating goods must often be shipped from out of town, 
often taking five or six weeks to reach the job (allowing for delays in 
ordering and in filling the order). The owner will greatly facilitate 
matters by making all selections promptly. 

All things considered, the building of a house, little or big, is a desir¬ 
able experience never to be forgotten—a happy undertaking if the 
problem is considered wisely and one looks at everything broadly and 
fairly. 


Note. —The Architectural Editor will be glad to name 
specifically first-class manufacturers who standardize their 
goods, if a stamped, addressed envelope is enclosed with 
the request. 


36 






COfctiEE • Post 


LEDCqEfc-BOARD 
LATHIHG 


4*g*QiRT 


BB1CK -VERMIN * STOP 



PLATE • 4«6‘ 


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2 *10' 


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PULLEY-STILE 
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BLIND - STOP • 


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WINDOW FRAMES SUCH AS CAN BE 
BOUGHT AT ANY MILL 


MAIM - SILL 


37 













































































































































EXTERIOR 
CEMENT • 
PLASTER- 

MORTAR 
JOINTS- 



INTERIOR 

Plaster. 


8* I2< 12*- CLAY- 
HOLLOW -TILE- 


ONE METHOD 
OF LAYING 
HOLLOW TILE 
FOR TILE STUCCO 
HOUSE 


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METHOD OF PLASTERING ON EXTERIOR BY MEANS OF WOOD LATHS 


38 






























































CLEANOUT 
Flues 

fl/EL 






COAL 

CLWKERS 

ASHES 


VERTICAL SECTION 
OF CAST-IRON HOT- 
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SHELF TO 

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UNDERFED HOT-AIR FURNACE TO WHICH 
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PEDESTAL LAVATORY 


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